Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology

The Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology offers a concise snapshot of the United States’ official ethnographic efforts during the fiscal year of 1885‑86. Presented by the bureau’s director, it outlines the agency’s mission to document and understand the cultures of North American Indians, while also explaining the administrative framework that supports this work. The introduction sets the tone, emphasizing both the continuity of past research plans and the evolving priorities that shape each field season.

The bulk of the volume is divided into two sections. The first details field activities such as mound explorations, investigations of stone villages, and a range of studies on mythology, language, and customs. The second focuses on the office side of the enterprise, describing the preparation of publications and the scholarly correspondence that underpins them. Included are separate papers on Indian linguistic families, the Ojibwe “Grand Medicine Society,” and Cherokee sacred formulas, reflecting the breadth of expertise contributed by researchers and independent scholars alike.